Automobile fire-engine.



L. B. LEN T. AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE. APPLIOATIION FILED MAR.18, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE.

APPLIQATION FILED MAR. 18 1911.

1,010,158. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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L. B. LENT. AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.v18,.1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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" UNITED STATES PATENT oFrIoE.

LEON 2B. LENT, or BREWSTER, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE Irma-Enema.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911. 1911. Serial No. 615,266.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, LEON B. LENT, a citizen of the United States, residingat Brew,-

ster, in the county of Putnam and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile Fire-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to selfpropelled fire engines, the primary object of which is to provide a simple, eflicient and compact apparatus. These objects are partly secured by using the impeller or impellers of the pumpas flywheels of the mo tor and also by utilizing the pump shaft as part of the'driving shaft of the vehicle.

A simple embodiment of thefinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view through a fire engine, constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale of the pump mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the pumps, 9. two stage pump being chosen arbitrarily for illustration.- Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section thereof.

Similar reference numerals designate correspondingparts in all the figures of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 is shown in outline, an automobile or self-propelled fire engine, with various parts, unnecessary to an understanding of the invention, eliminated. A suitable frame 6 is mounted on front and rear axles 7 that carry suitable supporting wheels 8. A motor 9, preferably of the internal com-. bustion type, is mounted on the front portion of the frame, with a shaft extending from the motor; which shaft may be in one piece, but preferably comprising sections 10, 11 and 12. The section 10 may be connected to the section 11 by a flexible coupling 13, and the section 11 can be connected to and disconnected from the section 12 through the medium of a suitable clutch 14:- The section 12, in turn, is connected to the usual transmission change gear mechanism that is arranged in a case 15, and this mechanism operates either the usual direct drive orpreferably a 'countershaft- 16 "carrying sprocket wheels 17. The sprocket wheels are engaged by chains 18 that operate on other sprocket wheels 19 carried by the rear or driving wheels 8of the vehicle.

The section 11, besides constituting a part 'of, the driving shaft between the motor and r the transmission gear, is also the pump 'shaft, passing through one or more pump casings, two,being shown, and designated 20. These casings each constitute a part of a centrifugal or turbine pump of thesingle or multi-stage type. Each of said casings in the-,two-stage pump shown, has a pair of impeller chambers 21 divided by an intermediate partition 22. An inlet 23 in the casing 20 leads to one of the chambers, and

from said chamber, a passageway 24 leads to the inlet of the other chamber, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Said other chamber is provided with a suitable discharge 25. The shaft section 11 passes axially through these chambers with a pair of impellers 26 fixed thereto that operate in their respective chambers.- These impellers have passages 27 communicating with the inlets of the chambers and opening through their peripheries. In a pump of this type there is at least one impeller for each stage'and it is to be noted by reference to Fig. 4 that the said impellers are permanently aflixed to the shaft 11, and consequently whenever the motor is in operation, they will be revolving and will act as flywheels of the motor.

Since the'vehicle is driven through the pump shaft, the said shaft becomes a part of the driving train for propelling the ve hicle when said vehicle is in motion. It is therefore apparent that the impellers are an essential part of the pump and also of the motor; and further that the pump is an essential part of both the pump and the propelling mechanism of the vehicle.

In one preferred form of construction, two pumps are employed with their inlets connected, as'shown at 28, to a common supply nipple 28. In the connectign 28, leading to one pump is placed a suitable valve 28. The pump discharges are connected, as

shown at 29' and 30, to a common outlet pipe.

31 having one or more discharge nipples 32 trdlled by valves 33. A valve 34 isplaced in the discharge 30, and a return pipe 35 having a valve 36 therein leads from the discharge end of the other. I the pumps can be worked in series or in parallel. For example, if the pumps are to be operated in parallel, the valves 34 and 28 are opened and the valve 36 1s shaft which, in case of more than one, are con- 30 of one of the pumps to the'inlet With this arrangement,

closed, whereupon the pumps will discharge through the connections 29 and 30 into the common outlet 31. If, however, they are to be run in series, the valves 34 and 28 are closed, and the valve 36 is opened. The water will then pass from theleft hand pump, through the return 35 to the right hand pump, and then through the discharges 29 and 31 at a greater pressure than when the'pumps are run in parallel, but with a correspondingly less amount of flow.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art, and it will be understood that various changes in the arrangement, size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor, a main shaft driven thereby, transmission mechanism between the shaft and wheels, and a pump directly driven by said shaft.

2. In an automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor, a main shaft driven thereby, transmission mechanism between the shaft and wheels, and a rotary pump driven directly from said shaft.

3. In an automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor, a main shaft driven thereby, transmission mechanism between the-shaft and wheels, a rotary pump'containing an impeller permanently fastened to said shaft. I

4. In an automobile-fire engine, thecombination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor mounted on the front end of the frame, a main shaft driven by the motor and extending longitudinally of the frame, transmission mechanism between the shaft and the Wheels, and a rotary pump whose impeller is permanently mounted on said shaft, said impeller constituting acflywheel for the motor.

5. In an automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor mounted on the front end of the frame, a main shaft driven by the motor and extending longitudinally of the frame, transmission mechanism between the shaft and the wheels, and a rotary pump whose impeller is permanently mounted on said shaft, said impeller constituting a flywheel for the motor, and said shaft comprising both a pump shaft and a vehlcle propeller shaft.

6. Inan automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supportmg wheels, of a motor mounted on the forward end of the frame, a longitudinal drive shaft driven by the motor, transmission mechanism connecting the rear wheels, a plurallty of pumps surrounding the driving shaft,

and impellers permanently fixed to the shaft, said impellers constituting flywheels for the motor; and said shaft COIIlPllSll'lg both a pump shaft and a vehicle propelling shaft; supply conduits for the pumps, discharge conduits for the pumps, and means for changing the flow and: running the pumps either in parallel or in series.

7. In an automobile fire engine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels, of a motor, a main shaft driven thereby and comprising a plural1ty of sections, the first section being connected to the motor, a pump permanently mounted on the second section, and transm ssion mechanism connected to the third section, a. coupling between the first and second sec -tions, and a clutch connectlon between the second and third sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscrlbmg wltnesses.

' LEON B. LENT. Witnesses MARTIN M. TINIISLEY, FRANKIJN AcKEn. 

